Sixteen bags of suspected precious stones, explosives, and 323 rounds of ammunition for a variety of firearms were found abandoned during an operation that focussed on illicit mining activities conducted on Wednesday, October 25 between 07:00 to 14:00. The operational teams consisted of teams from across the province, and Phalaborwa, and private security companies.

Also read: Illegal miners caught

According to police, the teams were busy with an operation when they noticed a group of people suspected to be mining illegally. When the suspected miners saw the police, they dispersed in different directions and further left behind two cellphones, a hammer, extension cords, a hacksaw, a rifle barrel, a generator, and a drill.

The Limpopo commissioner of police, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe, has praised the operational teams for recovering the precious stones, ammunition, and explosives among other items. She further, warned the criminals that the police would not rest until they were arrested. The operations focussing on illegal mining across the province are ongoing.